


And a Child Shall Lead Them

by Wishfulthinking1979



Series: Hunting Scum and Villainy [4]
Category: Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Angst and Feels, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Go get the spicers, Piett and Veers epic friendship, getting closer to taking on the Hutts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:27:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25916569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wishfulthinking1979/pseuds/Wishfulthinking1979
Summary: On Lagoona, in Hutt Space, Veers is taken. Piett is going to get him back and gets some help from an unexpected source.
Series: Hunting Scum and Villainy [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1845904
Comments: 45
Kudos: 58





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Fair warning---angst abounds. But we need to see the difficult side of the work these men are doing as well.....

They had taken Veers. Force damn it, they had taken  _ Max _ .

And, no.

That cost, even for this cause, was never one that Piett would pay as long as he was breathing. He rolled to his knees, blinking away the stars from his vision and trying to spot the speeders, but his eyes were still adjusting and he could no longer see them. 

Kriffing, kriffing hell. 

And Lord Vader was tracing the lead on the spice trade on the other side of this massive island, hours away. 

It was up to him. And he had no idea where to start. He staggered to his feet and considered. He was just outside the city, close to the coast. Perhaps if he stole a boat (or rented one, fine) he could patrol the coastlines. That made the most sense to him for spicer locations in terms of fast getaways and easy access to transport their product.

The thing was…..he hung his head and rubbed at the lump there. Time was not a luxury they had. They would want to know who Veers was and what he was doing here. They would no doubt be brutal. 

No. He had to step back emotionally. He pulled out his commlink, then paused. Lord Vader had said not to contact him for the first five hours in case he was in a...delicate position. 

All right. Back to the city. Find someone to rent him a boat then…..

Someone was watching him.

He could feel it---years of practice giving him that sense. He took a breath, then drew his blaster and whirled to point it at…..

….a child. 

A small, pale pink Twi’lek child, who stared fearlessly back at him. 

He lowered his weapon. How long had she been here? Possibly she saw where they had taken the General?

“Hello,” he said in Basic.

“Hello.” She studied him gravely with large grey eyes. “I saw you in town.”

“Oh?” He tried to remember. She was dressed in rags and clearly was one of the street urchins.

“Yes. You helped Brenta up. You were kind.”

_ Ah. He recalled the brief encounter. The tiny Lagoonan child had run into his boots literally, being pursued by an older gang of children. Piett had helped him up and stood in front of him to stare down the bullies who turned away at his challenging stance. The little boy had run off almost before he turned back and he thought he had seen him join another child….this one? _

“Is Brenta all right?” he asked.

She nodded, coming a little closer.

“You hit your head on the rock when they threw the flash detonator. Are you all right?”   
  


It hurt, but he was fine otherwise.

“Yes, thank you. Listen, the gang, those men, you know them?”

“Yes.” And her tone told him everything he needed to know about her opinion there.

“They took my friend---the tall man who was with me. Did you see which way they went?”

She nodded again. “Yes. I know where they go.”

She  _ did _ ? 

“Can….can you show me?”

“It will take a while,” she said doubtfully. “And we don’t have a speeder. Besides they will find us on a speeder. You have to go the sneaky way if you want to get in.”

Kriff, they had scanners then. Probably a decent security system, given their line of business.

“What is the sneaky way? And how long does it take?”

“Long. It will be night time.”

_ At least six hours then. All right. _

He moved toward her carefully and knelt to be more at her height. “Those men took my closest friend. I would like your help to get him back. We are trying to take them away so that children like you can grow up safely. Will you help me?”

She studied him closely. “What is your name?” she asked.

“How rude of me, of course.” He paused slightly as they were undercover here. “You can call me Piett.”

“Pete?”   
  


“Close enough. And what is your name?”

“I am Nali.” She held out a regal hand and inexplicably he was reminded of his princess. He could see her doing this at this age.

He shook it gently. “Lovely to meet you Nali. I will get us some supplies in the city and then we can leave all right?”

“All right Mr. Pete.” 

_ And that was a new one.  _

Twenty minutes later, equipped with water bottles and simple rations, the two of them set out across the flat, but lush landscape. It was quite tropical though not nearly as humid as could be expected due to being an island— the breeze was refreshing in the hot sun. Huge blue palm trees covered the landscape and green grasses taller than Nali grew all round, interspersed with fragrant white flowers the size of his hand. It would be a lovely vacation spot if it weren’t a world that had been horribly oppressed and enslaved by the Hutts.

Lagoona was well inside Hutt space and they were getting closer to the home worlds. A campaign was being planned by the New Republic, but they were not close yet to directly attacking Nal Hutta. They must weaken various satellites first and be prepared for the vacuum that would be left when they took down the Hutt Cartel.

And Piett wanted it to go down. So did his Lordship, more passionately than his Admiral.

Nali paused and then headed into the grass near a trio of the palms. She looked back at him. 

“The sneaky way, Mr. Pete. I promise I know it.”

_ It was his best and only lead for Veers.  _

He moved toward her. “All right then, Miss Nali, lead the way.”

She giggled, her little lekku twitching in pleasure. “That sounds like a lady.”

“You are a lady--a very brave and smart lady.”

She threw him a charming smile and he wished that he could help all the children here. He knew well that most of them didn’t make it past age 12.

“Is it your job to hunt the spicers?”

_ So she knew what they were. He shouldn’t be surprised. He had known at her age too.  _

“Partly, yes.”   
  


She pushed through the grasses, glancing up every once in a while to check her direction. The scent of the crushed grass was citrusy--he liked it.

“I have a best friend,” she informed him after a minute.

“Well that’s good,” he told her. “Best friends are terrific to have. What is your friend’s name?”

“Ryle,” she replied, smiling at him as he came to her side. “He’s taller than me too. Just like your friend.”

_ He couldn’t get away from that comparison ever, it seemed. But, he reflected with a pang, he didn’t want to. _

“It’s good to have tall friends----they look out for us,” he said with an answering smile at her.

“Yep,” she agreed, plucking a grass and playing with it, “but Ryle says that it’s good I’m short because I notice things he doesn’t. And people don’t expect me when….when we’re  _ getting _ food cause they’re watching him.” She said this shyly, as though expecting him to scold her for stealing.

_ He knew that hunger. _

“Well good job you then,” he told her warmly, and she gave him a wide grin. 

“Thanks! Once I got enough to feed  _ five _ of us!” she told him proudly and his heart hurt.

“Very well done. Do you want some water?” he asked her, handing her a bottle.

“Thank you,” she said with regal manners and had a little, knowing from experience to make it last.

They walked in silence for a while and he tried not to think of what might be happening with Veers.

“Are you a soldier?” she asked suddenly, and he started in surprise at the insight.

“Well…..sort of,” he replied, wondering how much to say. On the other hand, this was the sort of child that stuck by her people. He recognized that.

“I am a naval officer.”

“Ooh!” she clapped her hands, eyes shining. “I love boats!”

He grinned down at her. “I do as well. But, while those are wonderful, I am a naval officer in the stars.”   
  


She stopped. “I watch the stars almost every night. Sometimes I think I might see ships up there. Maybe I saw yours!”   
  


He had a hard time breathing for a moment as memories slammed into him.

_ Rilla warm at his side…. _

_ Her favorite constellation had been the Balaena and his Gladius….. _

_ Hot nights when they sometimes fell asleep together on the roof because it was cooler and the vast ocean of stars above them so peaceful….. _

“Mr. Pete?”

“Sorry, my dear, ah…”

“You looked sad,” she told him gravely. “Did someone die?”

She spoke with intimate knowledge. 

“Yes,” he answered quietly as they moved on, “a long time ago now. She…..she loved the stars as well.”

A tiny hand slipped into his. “I thought you understood. You  _ know _ ,” she stressed the word. “You know what it looks like when you lose people.”

  
  
He gripped the little fingers carefully. “Who did you lose Nali?”

She was quiet for a moment. “Everyone. The Hutts took my mother. My father died for that. My brother died so that I could run away from them.”

She stopped speaking, and then-- “I wish I hadn’t left him.”

_ Force. How he hated the Cartel. _

“He did not want you to stay, Nali. He was very brave and did the right thing.”

“But he died for  _ me _ ,” she said, and her lekku were drooping and then a tear ran down her face.

“Nali….how old are you?” he asked, gripping her hand more firmly.

“I’m eight,” she replied.

“And they died when you were….?”

“Five,” she whispered.

“I would have told you to run as well, sweetheart,” he said, heart sore all over again. “You did exactly what you should have done.”

A silence and then a little sob and he couldn’t…..

He stopped to take her in his arms and she buried her face into his shoulder to weep her grief and he walked, hoping it was the right way as he patted her back.

Eventually her storm stopped, and she looked at him as he moved further through the grasses.

“Is your ship very big?”

_ His Lady was the biggest in the galaxy. _

“She is.”   
  


“Can she shoot all of the bad beings in the galaxy?”

_ Oh Nali, if only it were that easy. _

“She is very good at that, but it takes time to get all the bad beings. And we don’t want to hurt any good ones in the process if we can help it.”

“That’s why you aren’t in your uniform. So you can be sneaky.”   
  


“Yes.”   
  


She was silent again and seemed content to rest her head on his shoulder.

“Am I going the right way?” he asked her, hoping she hadn’t fallen asleep.

“Yes. You need to keep following that line of palm trees there,” she said pointing.

“The ones closest to the ocean?”

“Yes. I can get down again.”

“Are you tired Nali?” It was a huge walk for such little legs.

She sighed. “Yes, but I’m used to that.”

_ And nine hells, she shouldn’t have to be. _

“Then I can carry you.”

She pulled up a bit to look at his face.

“Do you have kids?”

_ Another life perhaps…. _

“No, my dear.”

“Well that’s too bad. You seem like a father.”

_ High praise indeed. _

“Thank you.”

He lost track of how long he walked but eventually he had to stop and they sat under a palm, leaning against its rough trunk and sharing rations. 

“How close are we, Nali?” he asked, noting the sun lowering in the sky.

_ Hang on, Max. _

“We’re getting there. I think we’re half way.”

All right then. 

They continued on, and as the sun began to sink below the horizon, he realized he could comm Lord Vader.

“My Lord?”

His commander could sense immediately that something had occurred.

“What has happened, Piett?”

“They took Veers, sir. I’m pursuing them now, but…”

“My lead was a false one, Admiral. I have called in reinforcements to your position as I believe that is their true base of operations. How far are you from the location of their stronghold?”   
  


“My guide thinks about two hours. We’re on foot.”

“Piett,” and his Lordship paused. “I realize that if I gave the order to wait you would likely disobey it.”

Well. He wasn’t wrong.

“Thus, I am instructing you to be as subtle as possible. And unless Veers’ life is in direct peril, I would advise waiting for me. Our reinforcements will be here in six hours.”

“I understand, my Lord. Thank you.”

At last, as the chill of night swept in from the ocean, Piett could just glimpse a building that blended well with the volcanic cliff face that reached down to the beach.

“That is their hideout,” Nali whispered to him. “I know the secret way to get inside as well.”

“How do you know, my dear?” he asked her.

“I followed once,” she replied simply. “They took Trynlex. He was good. He looked after us.” Her face was harder to see in the dark but he knew by her tone that this hadn’t ended well.

“He….he was like you a little bit. But they took him and….he never came out. But when I was looking for him, I found the way inside that is sneaky.”   
  


“Lead on then, Nali. Wait.” He shrugged off his jacket as the little girl was shivering now, and wrapped it around her.

“What about you?” she asked as they made their way down to the beach.

“I will be very active I hope,” he told her, “and I am bigger than you.”

They reached the bottom of the seemingly sheer cliff face.

“Right here,” Nali told him, “it’s hard to see, but it’s like a very steep stairway. And at the top is the place where...you’re not going to like it.”   
  


He was pretty sure he wasn’t either.

“Let me guess, the garbage chute.”   
  


“Yes. You knew!”

“Seemed like I would have to experience it sometime,” he told her, thinking of his princess and hoping he got to tell her his own tale.

“All right, darling,” he said thinking rapidly, “You should stay down here. I am going to try and get my friend and I want you well out of the way of any danger. We’ll come back this way to find you all right?”

She nodded. “Okay, Mr. Pete. Please be really careful though.”

On inspiration he handed her his commlink. “If you need help, or hear shooting, click this button and then this one here. Someone can find you. And I’m leaving you with the food and water. Help yourself.”

“Okay.” 

He checked his blaster, and made sure it was secure before he got out his small penlight and clicked it on. He had set his hand to the rough rock when she gripped his sleeve.

“Mr. Pete?”

“Yes Nali?”

“I like you.  _ Please _ come back.”

And he heard the desperation in a voice too young to have lost all that she had. He turned to give her a fierce hug, and she wound her arms tightly around his neck.

“I’ll do my very best, my dear.”

She nodded and then let go so that he could put the penlight in his mouth to light the way as he gripped the rock once more to begin to climb.

It was not the worst thing he had ever done, and he was somewhat glad it was dark as he couldn’t see how high up he was though the increasing wind told him he was a good distance above the sand now.

He started looking for where the garbage chute emptied, and it turned out that wasn’t hard as the smell hit him first.

_ Force _ .

There it was. Trying not to gag he climbed in.  _ Think of Veers. Think of Nali. _

He was able to stoop and move forward, so at least he didn’t have to crawl. Small mercies. He focused on keeping his footing because falling down in this muck was rather unthinkable. A pool of light shone ahead of him from above and he cautiously moved under it. A grate in the floor. He shone his light at the walls. Good. It had been roughly carved out of the stone---lots of hand and footholds. He carefully peered through the grate. Perfect. Looked like their galley. He listened hard but it seemed at this time of evening it was deserted.

He pushed experimentally at the grate. It was heavy but it moved. Again he thought of her highness, and a different time of dealing with grates. He wouldn’t mind her help right now. Bracing himself he shoved hard and it scooted away with a loud scrape. He waited, half expecting the alarm, but all was quiet. He got a good grip on the edge, and pulled himself up swiftly, replacing the grate and taking a quick moment to find a towel to wipe his boots lest he track muck and be found too easily. 

Piett glanced around the entryway. Clear. He had his blaster out and set to stun as he crept down the quiet corridor. If he was going to look for a prisoner here, he would assume the lower levels. And given how garbage chutes worked, he would also assume that he was on the lower levels. So then. He came to a T-junction. Following instinct, he chose the right and moved further into the bowels of the structure.

Now he could hear voices faintly and he moved as quietly as possible down the dimly lit corridors. Around a corner he pulled up abruptly and pressed back against the wall before chancing a look once more. 

A bored looking guard was smoking outside a room. Most of them down here had been carved from the rock and this one seemed no exception. Even with the metal door closed he could hear voices and then it hissed open suddenly and a woman exited, looking put out.

“They want me to get Grusha,” she sighed.

“Not getting anywhere then?” asked the man.

“He seems ex-Imperial to me,” she replied and Piett had found his friend. “Which means he’s trained….”

That was as far as he let them get before he had stepped out to stun them both.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Piett enters the spicer fortress to retrieve Veers.
> 
> Please check out the amazing art by Neumhuire in the comments! It is seriously the best and I'm so honored!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok folks, basically, here's the warning: If you would rather not feel sad at the moment, I would encourage you to read this another time. There is a cost to eradicating these things and I am exploring that here. 
> 
> Much love to you all!

Veers spat more blood from his mouth and felt his teeth with his tongue. Yes, Henley was going to have to repair that if he survived this. Kriff. He hated regrowing teeth.

The big Lagoonan shook his fist out, and turned to the Togruta who was staring at the General with irritation.

“I’m getting tired. I’m telling you he’s an Imp. They are trained.”

Veers smiled to himself. True and not true at the same time. His face was a mess, he knew that, but it was his sore muscles from being tied to the metal chair that were complaining the most. And whoever had done the knots knew their stuff. He’d been trying subtly for hours to deal with those. He could feel the blood from his wrists running down his hands.

The woman in the corner looked bored.

“Should we try with Grusha yet?” she asked, but the Togruta shook his head.

“Too much damage too early. I think that we should bring in his friend. Well. What’s left of him that is.”

And for the first time, Veers felt cold with fear.

No.

They hadn’t taken Piett. He’d never seen them bring him….

_ But then _ , his brain supplied,  _ you weren’t able to see very well were you? _

And the Togruta looked more satisfied at whatever he could see on Veers’ face. 

“Yes. I’m afraid he won’t make it. But he can live long enough to  _ suffer… _ .”

“You don’t have him,” he said with as much confidence as he could muster.

_ Force no. _

“Oh we do, my friend, we do. Unfortunately, he was hit in the stomach, so he doesn’t have long. Hasn’t been pleasant I can tell you, with him moaning. We could have him scream for you though….”

_ Hells. He had to be lying.  _

“Bring him then,” Veers challenged, feeling sick and trying to crush that down.

The Togruta snapped his fingers and the woman sighed and went out of the room.

_ Kriffing, kriffing hell. _ Veers hated the beings in front of him. If Piett was…..

“He’s been crying your name for hours now,” the Togruta told him. “ _ Max _ is it?”

_ Oh, Firmus. The best I can hope for you is that you die before they get you in here. And I’ll take these bastards with me when I go. _

The Lagoonan chuckled at his stricken face.

“The little ones always last longer than you think they can,” he commented, and Veers jerked sharply at the ropes holding him, desperate to destroy them as the door hissed open once more behind them, and he was terrified of what he would see.

“They do indeed,” drawled a very familiar voice and the Lagoonan went for his blaster, but was woefully slow and went down with a hole in his throat. The Togruta had time to swear, but Piett was the best shot he knew and his friend had aimed for his heart.

And then the Admiral was in front of him and Veers found that things were a bit fuzzy for a while.

When he came to himself more, he found that his hands were free and Piett was trying to rub feeling back into them for him which was not pleasant, but helped to clear his head.

“We don’t have much time, Max,” his friend told him---his friend who looked dirty, but unharmed. 

He felt such relief, but he needed to hear it from Piett, because he’d known the man to push through rather terrible injuries in the past.

“Are…..are you hurt anywhere, Firmus?” he asked, and Piett must have seen something in his eyes because he didn’t huff with offense. 

“No Max,” he said seriously, moving his arms so that the General could see his shirt-- no blood.

“They told you I was?” he asked, moving away to take the blasters off of both the dead beings.

Veers closed his eyes gratefully. “Yes.”

“Never got me at all, I’m glad to say,” the Admiral told him, coming back and handing him a blaster, tucking the extra one in his belt. “Left me there after the flash detonator. Sorry I wasn’t sooner, but my guide insisted on the ‘sneaky’ way and I think she was right so…”

Veers took the hand Piett offered and made it to his feet, staggering slightly as the blood came back into his legs, but the Admiral, while short, was made of wiry muscle, and supported him as they made their way out of the room to the dim corridor.

Two more bodies lay there and Piett guided them past those to hurry down the corridor.

After several more strides, Veers managed to move on his own.

“How did you get in?” he whispered as Piett peered around a corner.

“Garbage chute,” Piett responded and Veers was suddenly chuckling. He knew it was partly reaction and stress, but at the same time…

“Oh stars. I suppose we were bound to have this happen at some point too.”

His friend shot him a swift smile. “My feelings exactly. This way.”

“Where’s this guide of yours?”

“Waiting for us outside,” the Admiral hissed as they moved quickly down the corridor. They had reached the galley when Veers heard a commotion and then a siren rang out.

“Well kriff,” Piett said, flinging himself to the floor of the galley, and tugging on the grate. Veers tried to help but Piett batted his hands away. 

“How many broken fingers do you have General?” he asked. “Save that for the blaster. You’ll need it.” 

He heaved and the grate moved aside. He motioned Veers to go first, which he did, dropping into the muck. And the smell…..

“Yes,” said Piett, dropping next to him and flicking on a penlight. “It takes some adjustment.”

“Lord Vader?” panted Veers as they moved as quickly as they dared through the chute.

“I commed him. His lead was a false trail and he’s sending reinforcements here to take out this base, but he said I could retrieve you.”

_ Really, Firmus? _ _   
  
_

“Did he now?”

His friend gave a breathless laugh. “Not exactly like that but yes, he told me he knew I’d disobey an order not to, and to be as subtle as possible. I was.”

Veers smiled at his friend’s back.

“Well. You did your best.”

“I can hear the sarcasm, Veers,” Piett clipped as they approached the opening. 

“All right, this is the hard part,” the Admiral said.

“Oh  _ this _ part is?” Veers asked.

“Well, yes as your hands are a bit of a mess,” Piett responded, “and we need to climb down a fairly sheer cliff face.”

Well. This was the hard part then.

Veers nodded.

“You go first with the light then, and I’ll use that to gauge my footing.”

Piett put the light in his mouth and moved down. Veers waited until he was sure Piett was a good ways below and then began his careful descent.

And son of a  _ Hutt _ it hurt, but not all his fingers were broken so he was able to hold on carefully, watching the bobbing light below him and trying to ignore the sounds of the sirens and the lights flickering around above them. 

They would send out speeders and small airships soon. They needed to be off of this cliff when that happened or they were stupidly easy targets.

It felt forever, but Veers knew it was only about five more minutes before he had his feet on the sand and Piett was moving toward a small bundle of….

A child. His guide had been a child.

She was clinging to the Admiral as though he was the anchor in a storm and maybe he was.

Piett turned to him, lifting her up easily and Veers saw that she was a Twi’lek.

“Nali,” said his friend, “this is my very good friend, Max. And we’re both so grateful to you for bringing me here.”

“Hi Mr. Max,” she replied and held out a small hand which he took carefully in his battered fingers.

“Nice to meet you, Nali.”   
  


“They hurt you,” she told him gravely. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s all right,” he responded, “the Admiral took care of them.”

She turned to his friend abruptly. 

“You didn’t say you were the Admiral! The big ship is  _ really _ yours? You’re the boss of all of it?”

Piett chuckled. “Veers, I am ‘Mr. Pete’ at the moment. Yes, Nali, I’m the boss of all of it.”

“The Lady might disagree there,” Veers muttered.

“We need to find cover,” Piett said, turning toward the grasses further up the shoreline.

And suddenly bright lights pinned them.

_ They’d been found. _

“Run!” yelled Veers, and they were pelting toward the tall grasses, sand kicking up at their ankles from the turbolasers.

A blast from a much bigger shot flung them like puppets and Veers couldn’t hear for several minutes---it was like being underwater. He made it to hands and knees and could see Nali nearby.

He scooped her up and ran for the cover of the grass and his hearing came back as they made it.

“.....to get Mr. Pete! He’s there! Mr. Max….!” she was screaming and the lights were searching for them….

He set her down in the grasses and flung himself toward the edge on his stomach to peer out and see if he could spot Piett. 

His friend lay on his stomach on the sand about ten yards away, and the lights were going to find him any moment. 

“Firmus!” he yelled, and to his relief, he saw the Admiral move and then Piett had pushed to his knees shaking his head.

Veers could see he was still somewhat stunned and he darted out, adrenaline helping him forget his battered body as he seized Piett around the chest and hauled him back, his legs muscles burning with the effort as they collapsed into the shelter of the grasses.

“Mr. Pete!” Nali was sobbing and patting at him and he managed to pull himself together for her and comfort the hysterical child.

“I’m all right, it’s all right. Just stunned. Either of you hurt?”

“No more than I was, Firmus. Nali?”

“I’m ok,” she said, hiccupping on her sobs.

“All right, sweetheart, hush now, everyone’s fine, we’re here darling, I’ve got you,” Piett comforted, holding her, likely not really hearing himself and Veers was aware, even in this moment, of the Admiral’s proficiency here. 

_ Why the hell couldn’t the Force have given his friend a family of his own? _

They began creeping further back into the grasses and luck ran out. 

Shouts and blaster fire and the sound of speeders.

“Back toward the beach!” called Piett. “Stay in the grass, but get closer to the beach!”

Veers and Nali obeyed, staying low but he had a sinking feeling that they were being herded…

The light found them.

Nali screamed and ran for the sand and Veers was close on her heels, Piett running right behind him.

“Stay in the grass!” he roared. “Nali…!”

A small airship zipped over head and fired and Veers watched it as though in slow motion.

Red blossomed in the small chest even as Piett pulled ahead to reach her, flinging himself toward her a fraction too late, and then the gunship was exploding further down the beach, and a much bigger ship appeared over head……

The Falcon. The Falcon which meant….

...right behind it came the Lady’s troop ships.

Veers could hear Lord Vader, and suddenly a hand was on his shoulder and he was being helped up by his commander.

“General. I can see you’re injured. How bad is it?”

“Not too bad, my Lord...."

A disbelieving huff.

"....please we need the medics for the little girl…”

Lights were trained on the beach and his eyes found his friend, and he moved away from his commander to run to the Admiral.

He knew as he came to stand by Piett that it was too late. 

“Did…..did your big ship come?” Nali asked, and blood was trickling out of the corner of her mouth and Piett was pressing a hand to her chest while cradling her.

“Yes, darling, please don’t talk. Please Nali…”

She looked at him with huge eyes. “You’re….s--ssad again.” She frowned slightly and raised a tiny hand to his face.

“Yes, my dear,” and his friend had tears running down his cheeks. 

She looked above him at the lights of the ships.

“I….can...see your….ship.. Mr. Pete….”

The little hand dropped, and Piett sobbed, bowing his head low over the still body as the medics came running up behind him, and Veers waved them away fiercely as his friend cradled the child close to his chest and gave in to his agony.

Eventually, he placed a hand on the Admiral’s shoulder.

“Firmus…”

“No Max,” he whispered, brushing a hand tenderly over her eyes to close them, and stroking her cheek with a finger.

_ Force damn it, how much could be thrown at his friend like this? _

Veers knew this pain intimately, and struggled against his own emotion. He had held Zev….

And then, just the right person was there. He hadn’t seen her come, but she knelt in front of Piett, a gentle hand on his arm. 

“Admiral dear. What was her name?”

And his friend lifted his ravaged face to hers. “Nali.”

The princess nodded. “She’s lovely. Dearest Admiral, please will you let the General take her? He knows how to hold children you may recall.”

  
  
She met his eyes, and Veers came around to join her, waiting for Piett.

The Admiral gazed for a moment at the still face and she could be sleeping. He kissed her forehead then looked up to Veers, and the General held out his arms for her. 

Piett placed Nali in them and she was so light. Veers rose, cradling her carefully, and the princess moved to his friend, uncaring of the blood on his hands and shirt and drew him into her arms. The Admiral dropped his head to her shoulder, and his own shook once more as she stroked his back and looked up to meet Veers’ gaze with tears in her brown eyes. 

He moved further up the beach with his tiny burden, to where Lord Vader waited with the medics, and he set the little girl so carefully down on the grav sled, knowing that his tears were visible and not caring. 

They stood side by side and watched the kneeling pair on the sand in front of them.

“The cost was high today, Veers,” said his commander quietly.

“Tell me they are destroyed,” he said hoarsely. “Tell me we have obliterated the cause of orphans like these.”

“Yes.”

A pause and Piett’s grief drifted to them on the ocean breeze.

“I would have traded my life for hers in a heartbeat,” Veers told him.

“I know. Piett tried-- I saw.”   
  


“She saved my life, my Lord, that baby…” he broke off, and watched the princess holding his friend.

“We will be sure not to waste her gift, General,” said Lord Vader softly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I cried while writing this. And I'm sorry to those of you who loved the character, but I had already written the story this way. :(
> 
> If it helps at all, I am currently working on a big story where I finally can give all our people a happy ending and yep, Piett gets a family. I mean, they have some intense things first, but I'm going to give them a gosh darn it, happy ending. ;) 
> 
> Thank you all for reading. I deeply appreciate it!


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